Quinoa Tabbouleh

I’ve been on a minor mission this year to use quinoa whenever possible. Quinoa is the current “it” grain, and that’s for some very good reasons. What’s not to love about an ancient, gluten-free, nutrient-dense, protein-packed powerhouse, cultivated by the Incas more than 5,000 years ago?

Quinoa Anything can be a vegetarian main course, and it can almost always be switched out for cous cous or rice. I say almost, because a few months ago, I went a little haywire and decided to try quinoa pudding — instead of rice pudding. Bad idea. It tasted like freshly mowed grass. Lesson learned: stick to savory quinoa dishes.

As far as Quinoa Tabbouleh: Perfect

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup olive oil

1 large cucumber chopped well

2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes halved

1 cup parsley chopped very fine

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped, fresh basil*

*Classic tabbouleh calls for mint, which is not on my 100 Ingredient List — and I like it better with fresh basil.

Directions

Rinse quinoa and add to a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat for 10 minutes until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

In a small bowl, whisk together minced garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Set aside

Chop cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, green onions and basil.

In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa with chopped vegetables and herbs. Add dressing and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper.